Chennai: The power cut woes and sleepless nights for city and suburban residents show no signs of abating. On Saturday night, residents of Muttukadu, Tiruporur, and nearby areas blocked traffic on the East Coast Road (ECR) and Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) as their localities plunged into darkness. In Perambur, agitated residents thronged the streets over power supply interruptions late in the night, while people in Ponneri protested perennial power cuts during night hours that have persisted for the last 20 days.
Protests and Demands
Residents of Tiruporur surrounded their MLA, B. Vijayraj, when he visited the spot to pacify the crowd, demanding action against the officers concerned. Vijayraj informed them that there is a proposal to set up a substation in Nellikuppam. "The issues will be rectified immediately," he assured the public. Similarly, residents of Ambattur had thronged the local TNPDCL office on Friday night, engaging in arguments with personnel over prolonged power cuts in their area.
Record Temperatures Aggravate Situation
The anger among residents was palpable as Chennai recorded the highest temperature among districts, with 40.4°C in Meenambakkam and 39.9°C in Nungambakkam, at least 2.5°C higher than historical levels. The nights were sultry and uncomfortable, even with air conditioners and fans running. Sanjay Chugh, a resident, expressed his frustration: "This summer, residents across ECR have been facing frequent power cuts and voltage fluctuations that are disrupting daily life, affecting everything from work and education to the operation of household appliances. While the region has witnessed significant residential and commercial development over the past few years, the supporting power infrastructure does not appear to have kept pace with the growing demand."
TNPDCL Officials Blame Network Failures
TNPDCL officials continued to blame the failure of the distribution network for interruptions in power supply. The chief engineer of Kancheepuram stated that the interruptions on ECR and OMR were due to tripping of an 11kV feeder at a 33kV substation in Tiruporur. "The feeder trip was due to failure of the HT cable. The fault was isolated and rectified around 1 am," the official said. In Perambur, a fault at an LT cable was cited as the reason for the interruption, while an 11kV cable fault was blamed for the power cut in Ponneri.
Power Demand and Continued Outages
On Saturday, Chennai's power demand was 4,708 MW, with per-day consumption at 92.2 million units, despite power cuts to different areas. On Sunday, power cuts plagued neighbourhoods including Mambalam, Pudupet, Esplanade, and Parry's Corner due to failure of pillar boxes, and the Thiru Vi Ka Nagar area due to a feeder trip at the Kolathur substation. Residents remain exasperated as the scorching summer continues with no immediate relief in sight.
